OGUN, Nigeria – The Ogun State Government has defended accommodation arrangements at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Sagamu following complaints of overcrowding, saying the facility received more than 4,300 prospective corps members in the latest batch.
The state government attributed the situation to the unusually high number of arrivals, compared with slightly more than 2,000 participants in previous batches. The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, said in a statement on Monday that prospective corps members who completed registration late were temporarily accommodated in the camp’s multipurpose hall while awaiting screening and hostel allocation. “Those whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, with mattresses provided for them to rest while the exercise continued,” Akinmade said.
He added that the state government provided 500 mattresses, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated another 300. However, the explanation has not ended criticism of the accommodation arrangements.
A human rights advocate and chairman of a civil society organisation in Ogun State, Solomon Bankole, described the situation as dehumanising and urged affected corps members to consider seeking legal redress over alleged violations of their fundamental rights.
Bankole argued that participation in the NYSC scheme is compulsory for eligible graduates, placing a responsibility on the authorities to provide safe and decent living conditions. “They can approach any of the Federal High Courts and claim that their rights have been trampled upon. NYSC is not an option to these children; it is a mandatory service they must undergo upon completion of their tertiary education,” he said.
He also warned that overcrowding could increase the risk of communicable diseases and raised concerns about privacy and safety where male and female corps members share temporary accommodation.
Join the conversation